The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1887-03-18
FREDERICK w. BAKER, Editor.
Is f. l. A / r, M d.
An Example Worthy Of Imitation.

Mr.. Geo. w. McComas, of Abingdon dis
trict, las taken time by the forelock and has
thoroughly repaired the road leading from
McComas Cross Roads to Clayton, greatly
to the advantage of the neighborhood. Mr..
McComas bought pillow and road scraper,
for the purpose, at his own expense
If Mr.. McComas's example were more
generally followed the travelling public
would derive more benefit from the money
annually spent upon our public roads than
they now do. The frosts of winter leave our
roads in such condition that they be-
come almost impossible in the spring, and
when the mud dries up the holes and ruts
which are left are anything but pleasant
Some of our roads are left untouched until
late in the fall, and for very brief season only
are comfortable to drive over. The earth
not having had time TO become compact
however, is cut into deeper ruls than ever,
the following spring, and the middle of the
road is converted by the wheels of passing
vehicles into quagmire, from which the
water can find no outlet to the sides OF the
road.
The County Commissioners, in the road
warrants issued by them, require that the
public roads shall be repaired between the
list day of April and the LIST day of Septem-
Der, but in many cases their instructions are
overlooked or neglected. Those who re-
member the public roads of Hartford twenty
five or thirty years ago know that marked
improvement has taken place in them, but
yet the public do not have all they have a
right to expect, because of the delay of many
supervisors in mending the portions OF road
allotted to them. The general supervisors
should insist that the roads be mended in &C.
cordance with the instructions contained in
the road warrants, and all warrants not COM
piled with by the first day of September
should be cancelled. 1t would be bett err, in
deed, to issue the roadwarrants a month
earlier, say by the first of March, and require
the public highways to be thoroughly repair.
ed by the first of July. The earth freshly
thrown up would then become compact be-
fore winter. Besides, the worst places could
be repaired before the hurried work of the
year begins.
The business of Hartford county has largely
increased during the last few years, and good
roads are in consequence more necessary
than they were half century ago, when
there was very little left over to sell ON any
farm, after the wants of the family and de-
pendents were supplied. The road tax is
paid ungrudgingly, but the public have a
right to demand that the greatest possible
benefit be derived from its expenditure. The
difference between the wear and tear ofhorses
and wagons in driving over good roads and
over bad roads is very great, and the saving 10
our farmers by having good roads from April
to December Instead of only for few weeks
in the fall would go long way towards pay
ing their tax bills.
The General Road Supervisors have, in a
great degree, control of this matter. They
should insist upon having the roads repaired
early in the season. One dollar spent upon
them in the spring after freezing weather is
over, is worth ten times as much as the same
kind Of work put on the roads late in the
fall.